Eastwood's 'Changeling' Changes Release Date

Oh look, a Clint Eastwood movie with an Oscar-friendly release date. That's new. Actually, it is relatively new, if you look over the man's directorial career. Sure, he's had a number of films come out in the fall time, but not with the same consistency we've seen since 2003, when Mystic Riverarrived in a few theaters on October 8 then went on to receive six Academy Award nominations the following winter.

Then in 2004, his Million Dollar Babyopened in limited release December 15 and went on to win four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. Finally, in 2006, two of his films were released in the fall, Flags of Our Fathersin October and Letters from Iwo Jima in December. Both went on to receive Oscar recognition, the latter garnering major noms, such as Best Picture and Best Director.

Eastwood's latest, Changeling, should continue the streak, and it probably doesn't matter on what date it's released just so long as it's released in the fall. Though it's probably for the best to keep it out of November, for good luck (Eastwood's last two November releases, Midnight in the Garden of Eviland A Perfect World,were both Oscar hopefuls that got beans from the Academy).

Perhaps that's why Universal has just changed the opening of the film up from November 7 to October 24, according to Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere. That's the new date for its limited release, while October 31 marks the wide release. Wells also claims that Universal is keeping the title Changeling rather than going with the alternate name The Exchange. That's probably for the best, as most of us heard good buzz about Changeling from Cannes (where Eastwood was given a special prize), with that title.

Oh, and speaking of Cannes, our own Kim Voynar reviewed the film there, and here's what she had to say regarding its Oscar chances: "Eastwood wrote the music for the film as well, and you could practically imagine the orchestra at the Oscars playing it in January; the film telegraphs "Oscar nominations" for [Angelina] Jolie and Eastwood, at the least, but of course, we'll have to wait and see how the rest of the year pans out."